February 6, 2018

Whether your animal organization does large-scale transport in or out of your area, or moves one animal at a time for out-of-state adoptions, keeping those pets from getting sick, experiencing stress, or spreading disease into the receiving shelter or community is critical. Transport of animals from areas with limited adoption opportunities to those where there… Learn More

December 12, 2017

Can you imagine how terrifying it must feel for cats who are trapped for sterilization and returned to their outdoor habitat, especially when the cat is not socialized to humans? And you probably don’t need to imagine how much stress pet cats can experience when taken to the veterinarian — if you’ve ever owned a… Learn More

March 21, 2017

When hundreds of cats in the New York City Animal Care and Control shelters tested positive for avian influenza last year, everyone involved set their only goal — saving the cats’ lives. That was a goal they reached, thanks to shelter medicine and the power of collaboration. “The NYACC did not want to euthanize a… Learn More

January 31, 2017

Animal shelters dread it: the death of a single kitten in a litter from feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). How much risk are the littermates at of becoming ill? Should they be kept in isolation from other cats, and if so, for how long? Should they be adopted out? If so, when? And what do you… Learn More

Gretchen Schoeffler, DVM, DACVECCSeptember 2016

This session discusses the development of protocols for emergency care of shelter animals and focuses on the triage and initial stabilization of the more common types of cases likely to be seen in the shelter setting. Learn More

July 26, 2016

Animal shelters have been among the places hardest-hit with infections of the H3N2 canine influenza virus since it made its first U.S. appearance in dogs from a Chicago animal shelter. Understanding how to prevent the spread of this respiratory disease is critical to protecting dogs in shelters and the community. One key to preventing transmission… Learn More

April 13, 2016

It’s Heartworm Awareness Month. Do you know as much as you think you do about heartworm disease in dogs and cats? Feline Heartworm Infection: The big surprise! Yes, we said cats. While only 5 percent of cats are on heartworm preventive, the American Heartworm Society reports rates of diagnosed heartworm infections in cats are on the… Learn More

January 19, 2016

Few areas of veterinary medicine have seen greater change than research and recommendations around immunity to disease and vaccination. New guidelines from the Vaccination Guidelines Group (VGG) of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) provide important context and recommendations for both veterinarians and animal shelters in how to put that new understanding to work… Learn More

December 8, 2015

When it comes to doing a physical exam on a newborn puppy or kitten, does your shelter or rescue group’s care team know what to look for? At the 2015 NAVC veterinary conference, Elizabeth Thomovsky, DVM, MS, DACVECC, of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue University, spoke on “What to Expect in a Neonatal… Learn More

Sandra Newbury, DVMMay 2015

No one in animal welfare or veterinary medicine can have missed the news about the outbreak of a new strain of canine influenza that hit Chicago and nearby communities in the last month. This is the first time this strain of the disease has been identified in the United States. Learn More

Alexis Bardzinski, DVM, and Jordana EstradaFebruary 2015

Since Austin Pets Alive! takes almost any animal from the open intake city shelter, regardless of medical issue, we see many diseases in dogs. We will talk through the worst one, Distemper, as well as others like broken bones, mange, upper respiratory infections, orthopedic issues and much more. Learn More

Does your shelter or rescue group have medical protocols in place to care for your pets and for your fostered dogs and cats? Foster programs are critical if we want to help more pets who are facing treatable medical conditions, and to expand the capacity of a community to care for its homeless pets.
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Every life is precious, but that doesn't mean the concept of "herd health" shouldn't be a guiding principle of the shelter veterinarian. Dr. Ellen Jefferson, whose data-driven approach has helped make Austin, TX, the largest no-kill community in the nation, shows how blanket protocols and procedures give most shelter dogs and cats the best chance to avoid, or recover quickly from diarrhea. Learn More

Brian A. DiGangi, DVM, MS, DABVP (Canine/Feline)December 2013

There have been many advances in treatment options since the emergence of canine parvovirus (CPV) in the 1970s, and many sheltering organizations have started to embrace various CPV treatment options in their efforts to save more lives. Brian A. DiGangi, DVM, MS, DABVP, guides you through treatment for shelter dogs with CPV, including how to make use of limited resources without compromising patient welfare and a simple algorithm to help shelters make the best treatment decisions. Learn More

January 2013

Diarrhea is common in shelter cats and dogs, whether caused by stress, diet change, parasites or pathogens. While there are serious illnesses associated with diarrhea, in most cases, it's easily treatable and often at a very small cost. Dr. Barbara Hanek, Dr. Heather Budgin, and Dr. Elizabeth Berliner share their experience with beating diarrhea and their tips on how your organization can do the same. Learn More

Brian A. DiGangi, DVM, MS, DABVPOctober 2011

From the minute a dog or cat sets paw inside an animal control vehicle or shelter, the clock is ticking on decisions, procedures and practices that can spell health or illness - even life or death - for that animal. Find out how decisions made in that first critical hour impact the stress response and susceptibility to disease of sheltered dogs and cats.
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